When does running get easy?

 I see people running by on the trails or the roads and it just looks so easy for them.  I am so jealous.  I want it to be effortless like that.

I'm new to my running journey.  I made it 25 minutes straight on the treadmill today at 1% incline at 4.7mph (short legs here).  

Also motivation -- I find it harder to keep my running as a run outside vs on the treadmill.  On race days (I try and do a 5k a month) I find it much easier to keep myself running or get back to running if I've started walking.   What do you do to keep yourself running?

Hi. I am pretty new to this so take it with a grain of salt, but the main thing that keeps me motivated is being registered for races. I don't train to win a race, but to improve. That upcoming race has always been my motivation. I know if I have something schedules that I better get my butt out there and prepare myself. Dare Greatly!

 I like having something that I'm going to do as well - it does help.  I do try and sign up for a 5k a month.  Wish I could do more but life and money is a factor as well.

I know that I do need to increase my running times  because I'm toying with the idea of signing up for a half marathon in the fall.  Last year, a friend and I volunteered at a water stop - her a month after her surgery and I a week after.  We are thinking - how cool would it be if this year we could actually run part of it?

It is tough for me to get started.  The stretching hurts and the first mile is like banging all the dents out of an old car, but after that, I kinda get a rythym. 

I have to know what kind of run I'm gonna do on any given day (long slow, interval medium, or HIIT sprints) and the route I plan so I know my ewstimated distance and I can pysch myself to the pace I need to do. 

Some days my body wants to go too fast at the beginning and some days I let it.  Some days its like jump starting a tracor with a hand crank but after the first little bit, the body caves and does my bidding.

The best days are the days when I start hitting that wall of not going very far or not being able to regulate my breathing too well, and I pick something up ahead to get to before I will allow myself to stop, and I look down and get wrap up in the music of my MP3 player or wrapped up in my thoughts and next thing I know, I've gone past where I planned to slow down or walk a bit. 

I have learned if I can push myself past that initial wall of pain to stop, sometimes I just get in that zen mode and it seems I can go whatever that pace is forever,..or least until the legs get rubbery.  It is a great feeling, you are sooooo right.

Its also a great feeling even after a run that I have to push to finish or really rag myself out a bit,...to get back, change back into my regular clothes and cool off and the feeling of accomplshment afterwards.  I embellish the experince whenever I can by posting my workout time and distance on mapmyrun.com,.... then I come out on the exercise and fitnss board and look for the daily workout posting to account for my accomplishment and read others.

Then, lastly, there are the comments from family and friends about " I saw you running", "wish I could do that", "you sure look great", and my clothes fit better.  It feels so good to have smaller size clothes fit nicely.  Even after allmost 3 yrs post-op, I still look in the mirror when I'm alone because I can't believe that is me looking back at me.

I think of all these nice results I owe to running and the small price of the pain I work through on the run, it only lasts for minutes.  Worst case,...I'll be back in an hour.

I had a doctor tell me the running and biking and swimming endurance type training really is physically addictive because of the endomorphines released during the exercise adrenaline metabolic process.  They are a natural form of morphine and attribute to that zen feeling you get sometimes when you are pushing your body to levels that increase blood flow and cause extended change of heart rate and burn calories and stored fat, etc., etc.  So, according to him,... the addiction is real, not imagined.

Just stay with it. Change it up, don't do the same distance and speed everyday.  Stay patient and add a little further or a little faster at a time and just keep improving personal accomplishments and goals.  The bug will bite you and you will find others wishing they could run as effortlessly as you.

Its kinda like Harley owners say when folks ask them Whats so special about owning a Harley.  The answer,...If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand it anyway.

Am I babbling?? I'm babbling aren't I.   Sooorry

 I love the feeling at the end of the race when you cross that finish line!  I am trying to improve my time each time.  I have no hope of competing against others so I compete against my last time.

Babbling is good - no worries!

Just wanted to let you know that it didn't feel good - ever - until I'd been running for over a year.  I was able to keep myself going, increase the speed and distance and do races, but I can't say that I ever felt GOOD until one day...  That day I felt as if I could go forever.  I only went 6 miles, but it was the best 6 I'd ever done.

Now, I have good days and not so good days, but since I KNOW there will always be good days, it's a lot easier to get past the not so good ones.

Also, the better shape I'm in, the easier the runs are.  But that's one of those things that just takes some time and effort to achieve.  Fitness is my main goal these days, and having the good run days makes it easier on me mentally to keep going on the days it feels bad (because sometimes it does).

It just takes time, but the little achievements helped keep me going until I had that ONE run.

Linn 

 I'm a little confused you say that you're new to this and got 25 minutes straight today on the treadmill but you also try to do a 5k a month?  Not being critical, just trying to figure out where you are and how long you've been running.
I remember the first time I ever 'ran' after surgery.  I had been walking about 5 miles a day and decided I needed to go faster to get a better workout.  I was visiting family 70 miles from my house and went to a high school up there.  Went out to the track at around 9 pm with absolutely nobody in sight and made it 100 yards -- I thought I was going to die.  When I got home it was my goal to make it from mailbox to mailbox.  I remember the first time I ran 1 mile, boy I couldn't believe I did it.  The first time I did that 5 mile loop I normally did when walking my parents were visiting.  I was on cloud 9 the entire weekend after that.
Is it ever easy -- no .  Sorry, it's work but then again there is such a thing as 'runners high' and man does that feel GOOD!!!  On the flip side my dog was going nuts wanting desperately to go for a walk/run so out we went a couple of hours ago.  I did 2.5 miles at a decent clip and don't feel like I did a major workout -- it's where I am in my training.
If you can muster through a 5 or 6 mile run (doing some walking breaks) then I bet your next 5k will go much faster and easier than you thought you could do.  
Motivation: I've paid for A LOT  of races this summer into next summer.  It keeps me going.  Last August I decided to do my first marathon and I completed it and loved every minute of it.  This year I'm doing the same marathon and have a time goal in mind.  2 weeks later I'm doing the New York marathon and I'll be going nice and slow, taking pictures along the way and talking to anybody/everybody who isn't struggling too much.  
I'm not sure I said much different than the others, I love exercising and doing the triathlons/marathons that I've done/am going to do.  I hope we can maybe keep you going to keep doing those 5k's and who knows, maybe a 10k late in the season?
--Sax

 New being I've been trying to run off and on since to April and new as it is still not easy and I can get out of breath easily.  There have been a couple times where I have gone 2-3 weeks without the running but doing other cardio activity instead.  

The first time I ran was at the gym on the treadmill - I was competing with a coworker -- she kept wanting to slow down and I kept upping the speed and said - come on - if the fat girl can do it - you can too.  I loved the friendly competition and I looked into the c25k program and did that for about 5 weeks but petered out when those long runs came!

There don't seem to be a lot of 10k's around here.  There is a 10 miler in a few weeks that I'm toying with the idea of signing up for to give me an idea of how I would do with a half marathon and give me a time to beat.    I also did a 5 mile (did a lot of walking) a couple weeks ago and came in around 68 minutes.

I definitely have the exercise bug -- I've GOT to exercise everyday - or I feel off and down.  

 OK, that makes a little more sense.  Depending on how far away the 10 miler is I'd say sign-up for it.  That race deadline always makes us step up an 'make it happen'.  As long as the goal is to finish and you don't mind walking for part of it (maybe 50%+) then you really have nothing to lose by signing up and doing it.  
It's a great bug to have and it'll come -- you've only been doing it about 4 months!  

Hello Serenity,

Everyone is different, I have been trying to find the same answer to that question.  I see people effortlessly run past me all the time, while I feel like I'm still towing around 400 pounds.  I think it's an individual thing.  You just have to keep plugging away and realize that every day, every step is better (hah I'm still trying to convince myself)

Motivation???  Well I just sign up for events.  Pay for them in advance, then I have to train or I flushed 50-100 down the toilet.  I also have this idea or feeling in my mind of what being successful at running or Triathlon will be.  I haven't reached it yet, and I'm not going to let myself quit or fail.

You keep up the good work!  You will find what you are looking for.

Scott